Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02314465 2000-07-25
IN-LINE BASKET FILTER AND ANTI-SIPHON VALVE
ASSEMBLY FOR SPRAY SPOUT AND THE LIKE
TECHNICAL FIELD
The field of this invention relates to an in-
line filter and an anti-siphon assembly for a hand held
spray spout for a faucet or showerhead.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
Hand held spray spouts for kitchen faucets
are becoming popular. The spray spout can either be
mounted in a faucet base and used as a conventional
faucet or held in a hand to easily change the direction
and placement of the discharged water. Secondly, an
operator may easily select to have the discharged water
- flow as an aerated stream or a spray. The selection is
made with the mere touch of an operating button.
In order for the spray portion of the faucet
to be maintained in good working order it is desirable
to keep the water stream free from any particulates
that may large enough to lodge into or entirely block
any of the small apertures that form the water spray.
Secondly, anti-siphon valves have long been
associated with plumbing fixtures to prevent back flow
conditions if per chance the water supply pressure
becomes negative while the hand held spray spout is
simultaneously submerged in a basin of water with the
mixing valve in the on position.
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What is needed is a filter that strains large
particulates from the water entering the spray spout of the
faucet while being conveniently mounted in the spray head.
What is also needed is a filter that can also seat the anti-
siphon valve and render it additional support against
collapse. What is also needed is a filter and anti-siphon
assembly that puts a pre-load on the anti-siphon valve base
to also provide additional support against collapse.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one aspect of the invention,
there is provided a hand-held faucet spray spout
characterized by: a downstream end having a plurality of
apertures letting water spray therethrough; a water passage
extending from a base section of said faucet spray spout to
said downstream end; a filter operably mounted in said water
passage for filtering particulates from water before it
passes to said plurality of apertures; an anti-siphon valve
mounted downstream from said filter; said filter having a
seat section for seating said anti-siphon valve downstream
from said filter, said seat section extending downstream
into the anti-siphon valve to seat it thereon.
The filter has a basket section with a tapered
side with filtering ports therethrough. Preferably, a
plurality of the filtering ports are on the tapered side of
said basket section and are in the form of elongated slots
that axially extend along the tapered side. Filtering ports
also on the upstream end of the basket.
An anti-siphon valve is mounted downstream from
the filter. The filter has a seat section for seating the
anti-siphon valve downstream from the filter. Preferably,
the seat section has a plurality
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of circumferentially spaced protrusions extending
downstream from the basket section and into the anti-
siphon valve for supporting said anti-siphon valve
against collapse when a reverse water pressure is in
said water passage. The spaced protrusions are radially
inner extensions of axially extending ribs that are
formed between the slots on the tapered side of the
basket section.
It is also desirable that the basket section
has a plurality of circumferentially spaced prongs
extending upstream for abutting against a supply hose
for applying a pre-load pressure onto said filter and
said anti-siphon valve. The prongs are radially outer
extensions of the ribs that are formed between the
slots on the tapered side of the basket section.
- In accordance with another aspect of the
invention, a filter component for a water hand held
spray spout has the above described properties and
construction.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Reference now is made to the accompanying
drawings in which:
Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a
faucet spray head incorporating a basket filter which
seats an anti-backup valve;
Figure 2 is a segmented elevational view of a
faucet spray head shown in figure 1;
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Figure 3 is in an enlarged segmented side
view of the adapter section housing the anti-siphon
valve and basket filter connected to a flexible hose
end;
Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of
the basket filter shown in figure 1;
Figure 5 is an enlarge side elevational view
of the basket filter shown in figure 1;
Figure 6 is an upstream end view of the
basket filter shown in figure 1;
Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken
along lines 7-7 in figure 6;
Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken
along lines 8-8 in figure 6;
- 15 Figure 9 is a downstream end view of the
basket filter;
Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view taken
along line 10-10 shown in figure 8;
Figure 11 is an enlarged perspective view of
a anti-siphon valve shown in figure 1; and
Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view taken
along
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to figures 1 and 2, a spray
spout body 10 has a water passage 12 therethrough from
a base inlet end 14 to a spray-aerator end 16. An
internal mechanism generally indicated as 15 allows
selection of water flow between an aerated flow or a
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spay flow via operation of a pair of opposing buttons
22. The spray-aerator end 16 has an aerator 17 that
screws into a spray section 18. The spray section 18
has a plurality of apertures 20 that form a spray or
shower when this mode is selected via a button 22.
As more clearly shown in figures 2 and 3, an
anti-siphon valve 24 and a basket filter 26 are seated
in the water passage 12 in proximity to the base end 14
of the spray spout 10. The passage has a shoulder 28
that seats a radially outer upstream rim 30 of said
anti-siphon valve 24. The shoulder 28 has a negative
taper to secure the rim 30 as explained in more detail.
The anti-siphon valve 24 is a duck bill type
made from a commercially available elastomeric material
approved for drinking and potable water, for example a
- basic grade of silicone rubber. As shown more clearly
in figures 11 and 12, the shown anti-siphon valve has
two openable slots 32 and 34 that are formed at
downstream ends 36 of flexible quadrants 38. When water
is flowing to the show head the valve is elastomericaly
deformed to open the slots and allow passage of water
therethrough. However, if there is reverse pressure in
passage 12, the quadrants close up slots 32 and 34 and
prevent the back-flow of water.
As shown in figures 4-10, the basket filter
26 has a tapered side 40 with a plurality of slots 42
and ribs 44. The basket filter 26 is made from a
commercially available semi-flexible plastic suitable
for potable water lines, for example a non-filled
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polypropylene or nylon. The slots extend axially along
the tapered side and are sized to screen larger
particulates that would lodge or block the apertures 20
in the spray 18. As shown in figure 6, the upstream end
46 of the basket filter also has a plurality of ports
48.
Extending downstream from the basket section
40 are a plurality of protrusions 50 which fit within
the inner diameter of rim 30 of the anti-siphon valve
as illustrated in figure 2. The protrusions 50 prevent
radially inward collapse of the anti-siphon valve 24
when reverse water pressure exists in the passage 12.
The filter 26 also has a seating rim 52 that abuts the
upstream side of the rim 30. For construction reasons
and for strength purposes, the protrusions 50 are axial
- extension of radially inner extensions 54 of axially
extending ribs 44 as most clearly shown in figures 7
and 10.
The upstream end 46 of the basket filter has
a plurality of axially extending prongs 56. The prongs
for construction reasons and for strength purposes are
axial extensions of radially outer extension 58 of ribs
44 as most clearly shown in figures 7 and 10. The
prongs are long enough to have flexibility. When a
supply hose 60 is screwed into the base end 14 of the
spray spout, the downstream end of the supply hose
abuts and presses against the prongs 56 as illustrated
in figure 3. The prongs 56 may flex to compensate for
any shortened distance between the downstream end of
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the supply hose 60 and the upstream end 46 of the
basket section. The flexing of the prongs causes the
rim 52 of the filter to place a pre-load on the rim 30
of anti-siphon valve. This pre-load also helps prevent
collapse or unseating of the elastomeric anti-siphon
valve rim 30 from the negative tapered shoulder 28.
The pre-load helps the rim 30 become cinched between
the rim 52 of the filter and the negatively tapered
shoulder 28. This arrangement is secure even when a
reverse pressure exists within the water passage 12.
In this fashion, a filter and anti-siphon
assembly is provided in a hand-held spray spout. The
filter provides for straining.out large particulates,
maintains a support within an inner diameter of the
anti-siphon valve and provides a pre-load on the anti-
- siphon valve. The support and pre-load help prevent
potential collapse of the elastomeric anti-siphon valve
when a negative pressure exists in the water passage.
Variations and modifications are possible
without departing from the scope and spirit of the
present invention as defined by the appended claims.
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